Puppet Boy by Christian Baines

Author:Christian Baines [Baines, Christian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626395114
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2015-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

*

Eric had almost snapped his phone in half when Johansson had called his name. He didn’t know why he’d been so nervous. It could have been the coke. He was still high, but coherent. At least, nobody had told him any different.

Reactions had varied when he’d flicked on the MP3 and Joe had begun screaming over the opera. An approving nod and grin from Julien, who’d failed to notice his disappearance from drama. A broad ‘you actually did it?’ smile from Nerida, and from Mary, just the gentle tilt of her lips as she recognised Joe’s voice.

Johansson hadn’t seen the artistic merit and had sent Eric to Wagner’s office. He’d thought about making a detour by Father Callahan’s once again. But no. Not in light of his recent German conquest.

He stared at the ginger cat clock that ticked on the admin block wall. Its tail and its annoying eyes flicked from side to side as it tapped out the steady rhythm of his wait. So tacky. So eighties. Was Wagner even in?

“Eric?” she called. “Come on through.”

Louise Wagner had taught music for almost twenty years at Christian Fellowship, and it showed in her choice of decor. No less than five metronomes decorated the mantle behind her desk. The slightly dented flute she’d played in her own high school band hung proudly on the wall, and the window sills and filing cabinets held a number of the school’s music trophies from the beginning of her tenure—earned by students long forgotten, who’d shuffled into safe careers, donned power suits and now beat the remnants of their former dreams into the pavement at Martin Place. A dozen certificates from institutions in Sydney, Melbourne, New York, London, Vienna and Chicago hung on the rear wall. Eric liked Wagner, but she loved to show off.

She sat at her desk, hands folded up under her chin, staring down at him from behind a pair of thick rimmed glasses. A cherry red scarf offset her crisp black suit, matching her eye-catching lipstick and nail polish. On anyone else it might have seemed cheap. On Wagner, it meant business.

“How’ve you been keeping, Eric?” she asked in a tone as far from congenial as Eric could imagine.

“Fine, thank you, Miss.”

“How’s your mum?”

“She’s good.”

“Been busy?”

“Yeah.”

“I understand you’ve been helping Miss Harley with this year’s play?”

“Kind of.”

“I also understand you’ve taken on a rather experimental project in Music?”

“I guess.”

“May I listen to it?”

He offered up the player. Wagner took it without a word, disconnected his earphones and plugged the USB into her laptop. A moment later, Joe’s screams and Ta Deum invaded the office. Wagner gently pressed her hands together, fingertips under her lips as she listened. She didn’t repeat the file when it had finished. She didn’t look at him, either.

“What were the criteria for the assignment?” she asked.

The question caught him off guard. “Umm, take different sources of contrasting sound and digitally blend them to create a new piece.”

“I suppose you pass.” Wagner unplugged the USB and handed it back.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.